


Loss

by orangebarmy



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Loss, Rating: PG13, TMNT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4079308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangebarmy/pseuds/orangebarmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT sadly<br/>Summary: The end is never easy but it is inevitable<br/>Rating: PG-13<br/>Warning: Canon character death - don't like don't read<br/>Note: My grandfather passed away at the end of 2014 and writing is how I deal with things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loss

The lair has been quiet for a very long time, or at least that is what it felt like. Master Splinter mutated rat and ninja master had finally succumbed to his old age and was dying. It hadn’t really been a shock for the four mutated turtles they had known it was coming but that didn’t mean it was easy to accept.

He had been counted as old when he had mutated but somehow the ooze which had transformed him had also increased his life expectancy. He had used the years as wisely as possible, raising his children to be honest good turtles who would help the weak and those in need.

The four ninja turtles were not sure what had cause their father’s sudden deterioration, and Donatello had agreed with his brothers that to investigate it would be cruel and prolong his father’s life at too great a cost. 

They could not ask their father as he was not responding to their questions, so as a family they had agreed to simply make him comfortable and let nature take its course. Given that they did not know how long their father had, they decided to take it in turns to sit by his bedside.

The old rat’s breathing began to falter and at first they had been terrified when he had stopped breathing, but after fifteen seconds he had suddenly started again. He was unable to regulate his temperature his fur sticking to his face and body as he sweated.

The length of time he stopped breathing slowly began to increase, and he would moan lightly in obvious pain. Donatello did what he could, injecting his father with painkillers and light sedatives in order to keep the discomfort at bay.

As each of them sat with him they would speak quietly to him, saying words that they knew he wanted to hear. They spoke of their love for him and thanked him for the gifts he had bestowed upon them as he had raised them. Then they sat in silence watching his chest rise and fall, then holding their own breaths as his chest stilled for over a minute at a time before starting again.

Twenty-four hours became forty-eight, then swiftly into seventy-two. It seemed impossible that the ninja master could still be living, Raphael even dared to ask why he was hanging on, why didn’t he just let go?

There was no answer that Donatello could give as he was a stumped as they were. Despite all of his knowledge and all of his gifts, sometimes the mystery of life and death couldn’t be explained.

Day four of the torturous waiting game was drawing to a close and Raphael sat by his father’s bedside a book open upon his lap but his eyes weren’t seeing the words. A small shuddering breath drew Raphael’s attention to his father, and he saw the black eyes were open and looking at him. 

His father’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, and Raph put down his book. Reaching across to the table by his father’s bed the emerald green turtle picked up one of the swabs Donatello had provided and dipped it in the water. Giving it a light tap Raph brought it to his father’s mouth and gently wiped it over the dried lips, gums and tongue.

“Shh it’s okay father, rest easy,” Raph whispered softly.

The dying rat’s mouth opened and closed a few times drawing in another couple of shuddering breaths. Raphael lifted a hand and soothed it over his father’s head trying to ease the rat’s suffering. 

He saw it then almost like a switch had been flicked, the light died in his father’s eyes. Raphael held his own breath as he watched and waited for his father’s chest to move once more, but with each passing second he knew the inevitable had happened.

“Don!” he raised his voice unable to keep the hitch from his tone.

He heard his brothers’ feet pound against the lair floor, heard their scramble to get to the room in response to Raphael’s call. Donatello was the first through the doorway and he didn’t hesitate to kneel at his father’s bedside. The fingers of one hand went to his father’s throat while the other rested upon the still chest.

Leonardo stood behind them, Michelangelo by his side as they watched their brother check their father’s vital signs. Reaching up Donatello gently lowered his father’s eyelids before reaching for the blanket and pulling it up underneath the rats chin.

“He has passed,” the genius stated simply as he turned to his brothers.

Tears began to form in all of their eyes as they looked upon the one person who had been a constant to them; the one who they knew would one day leave them but who they hadn’t been ready to accept it.

“W-what do we do now?” Mikey questioned his voice quivering but tears not falling from his eyes.

“We say goodbye and then let him go,” Leo spoke up tears soaking his mask staining the blue mask into a darker shade.

Raph nodded in agreement wrapping his arms around himself and trying his hardest not to cry. It wasn’t that he thought crying was wrong he just didn’t want to right now. Donatello let out a sob and wiped at his eyes.

He turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder and immediately wrapped his arms around his leader. The two clung to each other as they cried, supporting each other as they vented their sorrow. Raph turned his gaze to Mikey who seemed to be staring at his father’s body.

Moving forward he stepped around his two mourning brothers and knelt down by his father’s bedside. He took his father’s paw in his own hand and stroked his thumb over it. Raph knelt down beside him and put his arm around his baby brother.

“Mikey you okay?” Raph asked his voice hitching again.

The sea green turtle nodded his head before leaning forward and kissing his father’s forehead. Leaning back he saw Raph wiping at his eyes as well. Getting to his feet he held out his hand and helped Raph to his feet. Leading his emerald green turtle to his other two brothers, Mikey manoeuvred his three brothers together so that they could hug each other.

“I’m going to call April and Casey,” Mikey whispered and stepped out of the room.

The three older turtles clung to each other crying and sharing in their pain and grief. Mikey stood in the doorway watching them as he pressed the speed dial for April. Pressing it to the side of his head he listened to it ring.

“Hey Mikey, how are things? How is Master Splinter?” April questioned as she answered the phone.

“Um hi April, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but um Master Splinter has just passed away,” Mikey explained in a quiet voice.

He heard April breath catch and he gripped his phone a little tighter.

“Oh Mikey I am so sorry. How is everyone? How are you?” she asked after a few moments.

“Considering it just happened I think everyone is taking it pretty well,” Mikey replied.

He could almost see her giving that sad little smile she reserved for when she was upset and didn’t want to show it.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” April asked the upset in her voice now showing through.

“Are we still okay to bury him at the farmhouse?” Mikey questioned.

A sob sounded down the phone, “Of course.”

“Thanks April. I best go now, my brothers need me. If you want to come and say goodbye you know you are allowed,” Mikey explained.

He heard her thank you before he said goodbye and hung up his phone. He moved back into the room where his brothers still held each other. They saw him come in and opened up their arms to him. He smiled sadly at them and accepted their invitation, hiding himself in their embrace.

It was hard to accept that their father, their Master and their friend was gone. They would never hear his voice again, or hear his walking stick tap around the lair. They would never again spend their training sessions working their butts off to please him or run home and excitedly tell him about their excursions above ground.

It was a hard reality to accept but one they knew they must. They would do it as they always had as a family, standing side by side as they did every day. They would mourn together, they would cry together and in the end through it all they would be strong together.

END


End file.
